nationalzoo

T. W. Sims (Thetus W. Sims, Thetus Willrette Sims, Honorable Thetus W. Sims) (1852-1939) was an American politician (Democrat) and served 12 terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He graduated from the law department of Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1876. Sims married Nannie "Nannie" Kitrell Sims (1855-1946) and they had seven children. Sims was an important advocate for the nineteenth amendment which gave women the right to vote. Tennessee was also the last state to ratify the nineteenth amendment. He pushed for the Sims Act, which forbade interstate transportation of fight films, primarily boxing after the Johnson v Flynn fight in 1912. The act was known as the first time Congress took censorship action in regards to films and remained on the books until 1940. – Photograph: Edmonston, Washington, DC  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

In April, 1913 – the time period this photograph could have been in the news – Congressman T. W. Sims was assaulted in Farragut Square [Washington, DC] by Charles C. Glover, President of the Riggs National Bank, one of the most prominent men in Washington financial and social circles. "The assault was the outcome of criticism directed at Mr. Glover by Mr. Sims on the floor of the House of Representatives [four years earlier] in connection with Mr. Glover's effort to sell to the government a large tract of land adjoining Rock Creek Park [in Washington]. Mr. Glover said,

"I looked at him squarely in the face and said, "I want to tell you to your face that you are a contemptible liar, yes, a miserable contemptible liar. Furthermore, I mean to show you just what I think of you.' "With that, I struck Sims a blow squarely on the jaw..."

While Congressman Sims did not press the matter a congressional investigation was begun a few days later. Ultimately, the matter was resolved when Speaker of the House James "Champ" Clark (D-Mo.) issued a warrant for Glover’s arrest and reprimanded the banker on the House floor.

"If one person is permitted to go unpunished for an assault upon a Congressman, everybody can assault a Congressman for words used in debate on the floor of the House, and free speech is at an end", Clark said just before he released Glover.

[As an FYI aside, any speech made by an elected legislator – from a town meeting/city council member to a member of the U.S. Congress, on the floor of that respective body is protected speech, and is not subject to any action for libel, slander, defamation, etc.] "Yet Glover eventually had the last word in land preservation. For example, one bill he lobbied for finally passed Congress in a compromise that created the National Zoo, a more popular possibility among Members, and opened the door to a commission that established Rock Creek Park. It was just one of the many fights Glover fought on behalf of the District. In fact, Glover, after whom Glover Park was named, went on to help create a city that would be very different today had he not played his part."  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

David Edmonston (D. B. Edmonston, David B Edmonston) (b.1860), the photographer of Congressman Sims' portrait operated Edmonton's Studio at 1407 F Street NW, in Washington, D.C. from 1916-1924. [1]  (There is a photograph of 1407 F Street NW, in the May 6, 1911 edition of The Washington Times in The Library of Congress Chronicling America collection. The text refers to the buildings as acquired by Col. O.G. Staples from the estate of Miss Cruit, and reports Col. Staples will remodel both of them.) Edmonston photographed an impressive number of prominent men and women during a short period of time. In addition to photographs of President Wilson holding his first grandchild, Francis Sayre and Charles A. Lindbergh as a young man with his father, Edmonston has more than forty photographs of prominent women in the Women of Protest Collection at The Library of Congress, including a photograph of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This also tells me that because Edmonston was active from 1916-1924, my l-o-n-g-i-s-h post about Mr Sims being smacked in the face in 1913 likely wasn't the reason he was "in the news" at the time of this photograph's publication -- so it's back to the drawing board.     LOC - add Edmonston as creator/contributor?

Thank you, Pixel Wrangler--we will update our record to be more complete!

To learn more about this photo, visit blog.photography.si.edu/2009/03/24/family-vacation/

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Pith Helmets, and we'd love to have this added to the group!